Is it bad to hold your pee? - Heba Shaheed

翻译人员: 小布 陈 校对人员: Jiawei Ni

It begins with a bit of discomfort

刚开始还只是有点不舒服

and soon becomes a pressing sensation that's impossible to ignore.

但是很快就变成了不可忽视的尿意

Finally, it's all you can think about,

最终，这变成你脑子里唯一想做的事情

and out of sheer desperation,

而且纯粹出于绝望

you go on a hunt for a bathroom until "ahh."

你冲去厕所，直到“啊。”

Humans should urinate at least four to six times a day,

人每天至少要排尿四到六次

but occasionally, the pressures of modern life forces us to clench and hold it in.

偶尔情况下，都市生活的压力迫使我们只能憋着

How bad is this habit, and how long can our bodies withstand it?

这个习惯有多坏？我们身体能憋多久？

The answers lie in the workings of the bladder,

答案就在于膀胱的工作原理

an oval pouch that sits inside the pelvis.

骨盆里的一个椭圆囊

Surrounding this structure are several other organs

这个结构组织的旁边是几个其他的器官

that together make up the whole urinary system.

合起来就组成了排尿系统

Two kidneys,

两个肾

two ureters,

两个输尿管

two urethral sphincters,

两个尿道括约肌

and a urethra.

一个尿道

Constantly trickling down from the kidneys is the yellowish liquid known as urine.

从肾脏连续流出来的黄色液体就是尿液

The kidneys make urine from a mix of water and the body's waste products,

形成于肾脏里的尿液由身体里的水分和终末产物合成

funneling the unwanted fluid into two muscular tubes called ureters.

废液通过漏斗般的口子流到两个叫着输尿管的肌管中

These carry it downward into the hollow organ known as the bladder.

然后注入一个中空的器官，就是膀胱

This organ's muscular wall is made of tissue called detrusor muscle

这个器官壁是由一种叫做逼尿肌的组织构成的

which relaxes as the bladder fills allowing it to inflate like a balloon.

当膀胱注入尿液时，它会像气球一样膨胀扩张

As the bladder gets full, the detrusor contracts.

当膀胱涨满时，逼尿肌收缩

The internal urethral sphincter automatically and involuntarily opens,

尿道内括约肌自然而然的张开

and the urine is released.

尿就排出来了

Whooshing downwards, the fluid enters the urethra

液体飞速的向下流进尿道

and stops short at the external urethral sphincter.

从膀胱经尿道排出体外

This works like a tap.

这个过程就像水龙头

When you want to delay urinating, you keep the sphincter closed.

当你想憋尿时，括约肌就会关上

When you want to release it, you can voluntarily open the flood gates.

当你想排尿时，你会无意识地打开这扇大门

But how do you sense your bladder's fullness

但你怎样才能意识到你膀胱满了没有呢

so you know when to pee?

所以你能知道你什么时候该尿尿了呢？

Inside the layers of detrusor muscles are millions of stretch receptors

在逼尿肌里有千万层交织成网的牵张感受器

that get triggered as the bladder fills.

当膀胱尿量增加时，会牵拉这些感受器

They send signals along your nerves to the sacral region in your spinal cord.

它们通过神经发送信号到骨髓骶的中枢区域

A reflex signal travels back to your bladder,

一个反射信号再反射到膀胱

making the detrusor muscle contract slightly

使括约肌轻微收缩

and increasing the bladder's pressure so you're aware that it's filling up.

增加膀胱的压力，从而让使人知道膀胱已经满了

Simultaneously, the internal urethral sphincter opens.

同时，括约肌内壁开始打开

This is called the micturition reflex.

这叫做排尿反射

The brain can counter it if it's not a good time to urinate

大脑会判断现在是不是排尿的合适时机

by sending another signal to contract the external urethral sphincter.

通过发射另一个信号来控制尿道外括约肌

With about 150 to 200 milliliters of urine inside of it,

膀胱内尿量达到150到200毫升时，

the bladder's muscular wall is stretched enough

膀胱壁扩张

for you to sense that there's urine within.

能让人感觉到尿意

At about 400 to 500 milliliters, the pressure becomes uncomfortable.

当有400到500毫升时，这种尿意使人感到不舒服

The bladder can go on stretching, but only to a point.

膀胱还是可以扩张，但是有一个极限点

Above 1,000 milliliters, it may burst.

尿液超过1000毫升时，膀胱可能会炸掉

Most people would lose bladder control before this happens,

多数人会在这种情况发生前就排尿

but in very rare cases,

但是在极少数的情况下

such as when as a person can't sense the need to urinate,

例如当一个人感受不到要尿意时

the pouch can rupture painfully requiring surgery to fix.

膀胱会痛苦的破裂，需要手术来修复

But under normal circumstances,

但是在正常情况下

your decision to urinate stops the brain's signal to the external urethral sphincter,

你要排尿的决定阻止了大脑向尿道外括约肌发出信号

causing it to relax and the bladder to empty.

使得它开始放松，膀胱排空

The external urethral sphincter is one of the muscles of the pelvic floor,

尿道外括约肌是一种盆底肌

and it provides support to the urethra and bladder neck.

它向尿道和膀胱颈提供支撑

It's lucky we have these pelvic floor muscles

能有这些盆底肌是幸运

because placing pressure on the system by coughing,

因为像咳嗽

sneezing,

打喷嚏

laughing,

大笑或者跳跃时对这个系统产生的压力

or jumping could cause bladder leakage.

可能会时膀胱漏尿

Instead, the pelvic floor muscles keep the region sealed

相反的，盆底肌使这个区域封闭着

until you're ready to go.

直到你准备好去排尿

But holding it in for too long,

但是憋着的时间太长

forcing out your urine too fast,

会导致你排尿的速度特别快

or urinating without proper physical support

或者尿的时候没有合适的身体支撑

may over time weaken or overwork that muscular sling.

可能会使尿道括约肌痉挛或者逼尿肌无力

That can lead to an overactive pelvic floor,

这可能会导致盆底肌松弛

bladder pain,

膀胱痛

urgency,

尿急

or urinary incontinence.

或者尿失禁

So in the interest of long-term health,

为了长期健康的考虑

it's not a great habit to hold your pee.

憋尿不是好习惯

But in the short term, at least, your body and brain have got you covered,

但是短期来说，至少你的身体和大脑都正常的情况下

so you can conveniently choose your moment of sweet release.

你可以合理的来选择排尿的时间